What are the early signs of a vaping-related illness?
For years, e-cigarette companies like Juul advertised their products as a safer alternative to smoking. However, that statement has been proven false in just the last few months.
According to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), vaping-related illnesses have been connected to over 1,200 injuries and 26 fatalities across the country. This is an epidemic. And it is causing many people to worry about their loved ones who may use these products.
So, what are the signs that a loved one might be suffering from a vaping-related illness?
What are the common symptoms of vaping-related illnesses?
These illnesses and injuries are still new. Therefore, there is not as much data as many medical professionals-and families-would like.
However, the reported cases of these illnesses share many common symptoms, including, but not limited to:
- An ongoing, constant cough: Coughing is often the first indicator of a vaping injury. The chemicals can irritate both the throat and lungs, causing a hacking cough.
- Chest pain: Inhaling vape juices and chemicals directly affects the lungs. This not only causes constant coughing but also extreme pain and difficulty breathing.
- Nausea: Unfortunately, the lungs are not the only target of these injuries. Vaping too much has also led many individuals to feel weak and dizzy, vomit excessively or suffer from diarrhea.
Flu season might make it difficult to detect vaping-related illnesses
Unfortunately, it might soon become more difficult to discern the symptoms of vaping-related illnesses from other illnesses.
For example, these symptoms are incredibly similar to the flu. And with flu season just around the corner, many medical professionals have a few worries, including:
- Individuals might not seek immediate medical attention if they write off vaping-related illnesses as the flu; and
- Medical professionals might have trouble diagnosing vaping-related illnesses because they share such similar symptoms to the flu, especially since many individuals diagnosed with a vaping-related illness reported running a fever.
These similar symptoms could cause significant confusion and create an even higher risk of a life-changing injury or illness in the coming months. So, Tennessee families must be even more alert for these symptoms to help keep their loved ones safe.